Entertainment

Major cities often have one or more guidebooks that list the local attractions. It is worth buying a copy of this book. You should be able to find it at local bookstores. The AAA provides free guidebooks for members. The Sunday newspaper will include a section devoted to arts, music, theater, movies, and other forms of entertainment.

Discounts

Many museums and tourist attractions offer discounted admission to students. You will need to show your student identification card. A college ID works fine. You can also get an International Student Identity Card (ISIC) for $20. Membership includes a booklet listing available discounts and a 24-hour help-line (1-800-626-2427). For more information send email to isicinfo@istc.org.

Tourist Attractions

During your stay in the United States, you may wish to do a little touring. The US has a lot to offer the international visitor.

Tourist season runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day. During the off season the attractions won’t be as crowded and hotels won’t be as full. But some attractions, such as amusement parks, shut down when school is in session.

Some of the more popular attractions for international visitors include:

Niagara Falls

The Smithsonian Institution

Disney World

The Grand Canyon

Yellowstone National Park

Mt. Rushmore

Statue of Liberty

Boston Fenway Park

Maine Lobster

Mall of America

Florida Everglades

There are also several cities worth visiting for their abundance of museums, culture, events, attractions, and history. They include:

Boston, Massachusetts

Cape Cod

Chicago, Illinois

Hershey, Pennsylvania

Hollywood, California

Las Vegas, Nevada

Miami, Florida

New Orleans

New York City

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

San Francisco, California

Washington, DC

Williamsburg, Virginia

Newspapers and Magazines

Every city has one or two daily newspapers. These represent a good source of local information. There may also be several ethnic newspapers specific to the interests of a culture or religion.

Each US city has a half dozen or so free broadcast television stations. As many as 100 television stations, however, are available from cable TV or satellite TV, depending on the level of service purchased. These stations included specialized stations for news, weather, home and garden, children, sports, science fiction, movies, and everything else imaginable. They also offer the broadcast stations, but with better reception.

A license is not needed to own or operate a television set in your home.